» Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:54 am The halls were eerily silent as the three men made their way across the wood floor. Their polished black dress shoes making thunderous noises as not another single soul stirred from the building. As they marched in lock step over the Presidential Seal, two men broke away down side passages, while the third continued up to the large oak double doors and pulled both open.
"No, Goddammit!" Elliot Hannan, 53rd President of the United States, screamed into the phone receiver. "I don't give a good [censored] what those pansies in Congress think, I am not going to open my records for a Federal Investigation. I will personally burn the White House to the ground if any so-called "Investigator" even calls to inquire. Do I make myself clear?"
Thomas Horrigan, United States Secret Service, allowed himself to smile internally as the President showcased his legendary temper to whatever sorry slob was on the other end. In today's political climate, politicians to make it to the nation's highest office were some of the most bloodthirsty, ruthless people you'd never care to meet, but Congress was still filled with busy bodies more concerned with prestige and reelection then actually running the country.
The President, obviously disgusted by what he heard on the other end of the line, slammed the receiver down onto its cradle, resulting in a satisfying ring as the force vibrated through the entire phone, and then proceeded to toss the phone across the room for good measure. The President exhaled roughly, and took notice of Horrigan's presence.
"Unbelievable." Hannan said with a humorless chuckle. "Ever since news about FEV went public, Congress has been doing its damndest to try an impeach me. Impeachment! As if that's going to solve anything in a time of war! Who's gonna replace me? My no nut-sack excuse for a Vice President? Only reason I brought him on board was to appease those anti-war sissies."
"Yes sir." Horrigan tactfully replied. "But with all due respect sir, our Founding Fathers never anticipated this kind of global catastrophe looming. They rashly gave Congress the power to impeach you for what's been released."
"Christ, don't remind me." Hannan sighed and leaned back in his insanely comfortable office chair. "Bad enough most the Staffers resigned when the news broke, but now my own Cabinet is in cahoots with them. I may just have to burn this place to the ground, but that's not going to stop them from dragging me out of this office at the worst possible time. [censored] Chinese have just been waiting for a moment like this."
"Yes sir." Horrigan commented, decided to keep the reports he'd received of a potential Chinese Infantry assault planned in Washington D.C. itself. The Secret Service was kicking over every rat's nest in the city looking for the rumored attack squad, but in a city this big that could take months without tipping their hand. All the more reason to get on with the reason he'd come, Horrigan reminded himself. "Sir, I'm here to escort you to your transport."
"Ah hell." Hannan sighed and slouched deeper into his chair. "Another one of those damned 'Town Hall' meetings to help ease the fears of the public."
Hannan pushed himself out of his office chair and reached for his suit jacket, which was draqed across the desk. Before he put it on, he pulled up his collar and reached inside his jacket pocket to remove his tie.
"You know Tom, I'm a politician. I lie because that's what I do. I was elected not because of my empathy with the unwashed masses of the American people, but because I was the meanest son of a [censored] around. But at the same time...it's getting harder to lie to them."
"I know, Mister President." Horrigan said quietly, as he held open the door for the President. "Hopefully, you won't have to lie to them for much longer."
"Yeah, and maybe cows will grow two heads." Hannan replied sarcastically.
As the two men walked down the hall, they soon were flanked by the two other Secret Service agents that had accompanied Horrigan. If the President noticed both of the newcomers holstering their laser pistols, he didn't comment on it.
"This way, Mister President." Horrigan gestured up a flight of stairs, and Hannan cocked an eyebrow. The way to his limo was down to the sub-basemant, not up to the roof. For one instant, Hannan speculated if Horrigan was a bleeding heart that was opposed to FEV research. Then Hannan shrugged and followed his nominal bodyguard. If Horrigan was going to kill him, there wasn't much he could do about it - thanks to a concession of his job, he wasn't even armed!
Horrigan opened the roof hatch and Hannan faltered a step as his eyes adjusted to the mid-day sun. Instead of the usual Helicopter, what was sitting on the landing pad was something Hannan had not expected.
"A Vertibird? I thought they were still in the prototype phase, Tom?" Hannan asked.
"Yes, Mister President. However, we deemed them necessary enough to...procure...for this."
"Who's 'we'?" Hannan asked suspiciously as he got into the experimental aircraft.
"The people who are really calling the shots, Mister President." Horrigan said without hesitation. "We've been monitoring you for some time now, and the decision was made to bring you in. You're too valuable a tool to the American People to be callously impeached over a necessary evil."
"That's nice," Hannan said as Horrigan shut the transport hatch and the aircraft began its ascent. "But at the same time that doesn't exactly tell me exactly who you are."
"I'm your bodyguard sir." Horrigan replied. "Never doubt that for a second. But as you've probably guessed, I'm not loyal to the United States Secret Service."
"Then who are you loyal to?"
"We call ourselves the Enclave, Mister President." Horrigan responded, then walked to the far door and knocked on the frame. Within seconds the door opened and the aircraft's copilot stuck his head out.
"To the Oil Rig, Private." Horrigan said simply.
"Yes sir." The copilot nodded and then shut the door.
Horrigan turned back to his commander in chief and smiled. "Best make yourself comfortable Sir. We're going to be here for awhile."
More to come...
and its nice to see you've done research into the Enclaves past, im wondering is Thomas Horrigan any relation to http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Frank_Horrigan 
